The wet surface of a Trex deck is no place for an extension ladder.
I made the first rung and it slipped out from under me. I fell 10′ and landed on my side……
I now have two broken ribs and am out of commission for 6 weeks………..
Next time I’ll put a speed square between the deck boards at the foot of the ladder.
It was a fairly new fiberglass ladder with rubber feet but I didn’t want to screw stop blocks into the brand new deck below.
Be careful out there…………..
“Rather be a hammer than a nail”
Bob
Replies
Damn!
Sorry to hear this. Glad it wasn't worse , I feel for ya.
Heck If I know....
I think about how bad it was that Superman was paralyzed from a fall off of a horse.
Yes, I'm really fortunate that I didn't break my neck.
I'm thinking that I should leave the second story decks to the younger guys."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Dang Bob, I feel for ya. It's a good wake up for me though. Thanks.
We do get complacent Knowing all the time we do everything right.............then
Zip..................we're airborne................which doesn't hurt at all.............it's the sudden stop at the bottom that hurts..............
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
That's the biggest thing about safety. Complacency kills.
Sorry Bob, heal quick
Thanks CAG........I will heal as quickly as I can...........It only hurts when I cough,burp,sneeze,blow my nose or breathe..............
I can still smile just don't make me laugh....."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
"I can still smile just don't make me laugh...."After sex, a smile works netter than laughing anywayor so I've been told
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
At our age, we can't afford to have broken ribs.
I'm real glad you are as well as you are.
Concentrate on the good things. Master of the Universe protected you. Your new home. A less cluttered house.
I'll give a little prayer in synagogue tomorrow morning (I go every day, almost) for your recovery.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
Thanks Aaron...........The youth pastor stopped by tonight to pray for me which was great till he left , then came back to ask me to jump start his car............which was ok except I had to hold the hood up on his car cause the shock was broke, now my ribs hurt from that.........hehehee
Thanks for your prayers...............
God must have a greater purpose for my life........
I think back at all the near death experiences I've had
1963 drove my Dads brand new car off of a 75' cliff, broke the steering wheel off with my face, had my jaw wired shut for 6 weeks.........great way to lose weight.
1978 fell 30 ' out of a tree house broke arm
1979 two bad motorcycle accidents on my Harley
1990 fell 30' off a roof and shattered my other arm
2005 fell 10' and broke two ribs
maybe at 59 God is just telling me to slow down a little bit
Be safe out there!
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Bob
Man I just read your injury list.
Your a damn clutz!!!
I've seen your pictures of your decks, seems like most of the time the boys are doing the work and your taking the pictures so production shouldnt tapper off to much! :)
Heres to a speedy recovery.
Doug
OK, Bob, I counted 6 of your 9 lives ! Be careful, be very careful. Bet you'll be here a lot over the next few weeks.
Heal well, take it easy. Vacation time.
Greg
Thank you all for your concern and prayers..............I will be getting alot of computer type work done as I sit here at home plus I'll even get my desk cleaned up.
I ordered two new Dell 160gig hard drives with 19" flat screen monitors for my wife and I so I have to take my pictures off of zip drives and put them on discs.Transferring files from one computer to the other should be fun too..
Be safe out there and NEVER climb a ladder unless it is tied off........
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Glad you are pretty OK, considering.
Can never be too careful, but, #### happens.
In the meantime, if you now find you have too many hammers in your way, you still have my address! ;)
Get well soon!Heck If I know....
Ouch, Bob! Be good to yourself and take care.I've gotta get up on an extension ladder to demo vinyl siding and trim windows real soon now. How do I tie the ladder off without climbing it first? LOL!I'm teaching a friend's daughter to sew and was using your calculator just yesterday to show her how to figure alterations. We made it open itself a few times just for fun."A completed home is a listed home."
Hold on, just a second.
You mentioned in an earlier post you fell of your Harley, twice, one summer.
I know now you were fine. What happened to the Harley?
Important things first.Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
Both wipe outs ruined the bars. foot pegs,mirrors, turn signals, pipes. leathers, helmet and ego of course........I was thinking about a set of training wheels :-)
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Hi Lisa, Man, the thought of putting a ladder against vinyl siding gives me the willy's
Please have someone at the bottom and please don't over reach to one side or the other...........
The correct angle for a ladder is putting your feet at the base with your arms and fingers extended straight out in front of you...........your finger tips should touch the ladder. I learned that trick when I was a volunteer fireman
There are over 99,000 ladder accidents a year please be safe..........
Glad to hear your finding a use for your calculator.........."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
The foam ladder mitts help stop the ladder from slipping sideways, as well as protect the siding.
Man, I'm sorry to hear about thatbut don't ya know that is what you getfor being gone from here for so long :-)All kidding aside, I'm thankful it wasn't anyworse. HOPE and PRAY that you heal quick. While your transfering pixs. share a few withus.
Thanks Butch I'll see what I can dig up in the picture department and post it in photos............."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
22 years ago I fell off a roof and broke my back in 3 places.
i was out of work a year.
My wife gave me an ultimatum after that- if i ever fall again, I have to either get up and walk away, or die on the spot; none of this middle of the road stuff.
So far, I've lived up to the bargain.
Hope you feel better soon.
LOL! Your wife and my Mom sound a lot alike.
When I was a teenage, I got into a doozy of an accident on a motorcycle...managed to 'Hide' the fact for quite a few days...and then, one day she waltzed into my bedroom as I was changing (hated when she did that!) and saw the black n blues... Man! I was so busted! And grounded! blah blah... blah blah... blah blah...!
Her final comment of her tirade was: "you keep riding that bike and you just know this young lady: you either kill yourself or walk away each time 'cause I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life taking care of you!"
Of course I kept riding...
Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most!
motorcycles and teenageers make the breed stronger, right?I had one that I was racing across a hay field about 40-45mph when I noticed a woodchuck hole right smack dab center a couple feet in front of my front wheel. I hauled back hard to lift the wheel over the hole and made it there, but when the rear tire hit, I found myself doing a handstand on the handle bars. Thought for sure I would keep going and rrun the bike right up and over myself.But I slowly settled back into the seat and pegs and kept reving. But I think my heart was still doing about 200 when I got home.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"motorcycles and teenageers make the breed stronger, right?"
ROAR!
Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most!
It sure does sound like our loved ones would get along- probably by telling tales about us and the stupid things we've done.
BTW, I pretty much stopped doing roofs after that- didn't want to press my luck!
happens quick, doesn't it?...
best wishes for a quick and thorough recovery, at least you have 'BREAKTIME' for some company and commiseration - - head on down to the Tavern and rustle up an arguement (or you could put an article together for FHB...) - take your mind off your troubles...
Run the screws in the crack between the Trex.
You young guys fall hard, sounds like. I kept right on working last winter with my broken rib
Not that it was any fun
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
You young guys fall hard
LOL............ us over weight guys fall hard"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
At leasrt it's not as far to fall as it used to be
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
anything above 30" is to tall for me anymore Piffin..........
Think I'll stick to ground level decks......
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
sorry to hear...
get better sooner...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Bob,
Sorry to hear it. Remember to take a deep breath at least three times a day. Take whatever advil or tylenol you need to do that. Otherwise, you're likely to get pneumonia. So my doc told me.
I broke a rib in January, in a way not nearly as spectacular as yours. Tough crawl in an attic, backing out of the eve area, and slipped. Dropped only a foot or so, horizontal, and my right ribs came down on a strongback. Broke one rib and cracked some cartilage as well. It was no fun going back into the space to finish up the job.
It was real nice when, a few weeks later, I realized it no longer hurt to breathe.
best,
Cliff
With some downtime you can sail the boat over here and check out the new brews at the Ale House. There's a great new pizza joint in town also.
Sorry to hear it Bob. Ribs are just no fun when they are not in one piece. I broke three ribs when I was younger, managed to make it through the healing process, and 6 weeks later broke the same three again. :) TCW Specialists in Custom Remodeling.
Sorry to hear about your injury. You'll just have to supervise those young guys for the next 6 weeks. Sometimes that is harder than the work you would have been doing :)
BTW a tie off at the top of a ladder is safer than a kicker at the bottom, and meets OSHA requirements. A ladder properly secured at the top can not go sideways or out from under you.
Heal well before getting back into it. To early a return , and you'll put yourself at risk again, by making unnatural adjustments to avoid those little shots of pain you will still have.
Dave
Pro Dek
Really sorry to hear that, man.
I know exactly how long it can take to change a man's life - the time it takes to hit the floor from four feet up.
Enjoy your pain. It means you're still alive.
Maybe it is time to have the young guys up the ladder, but you still have to make sure they do it right. You are the man who knows how to avoid one set of accidents. If they are still unwounded then they know nothing.
Compensation coverage?
Ron
This summer I was up 16 feet, just needed to go up for a second and thought "if I start to slide, I'll grab on to something" -- It happend so fast I was flat on my back before I knew it. I have a new respect for roofs and always, always use a rope secrue to something sturdy -- it was awake up call becaue I could have broken my back.
Self employed. I have medical that costs me $800 a month that will cover some of the expense..............
Here is the deck I fell off of."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
how's the healing going?
The healing is painfull........It doesn't hurt to take deep breaths now but it is hard to get comfortable to sleep and I have to get up in the middle of the night to take pain pills (Percocet). I can't bend over to tie my shoes, so I wear slip ons.
I wear an elastic belt during the day............
I was at the Lowes check-out yesterday and SNEEZED..........I jumped a foot off of the ground and went AW-CHEW-OUCH! and tears came to my eyes........
I'd like to see the re-play on that one...............LOL
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
I mentioned to sit down if you sneeze even if you are in the checkout counter at Lowes, explain later.I hope you are feeling better.
It's not commonly known that a healthy individual's chest muscles and diaphragm are strong enough to dislocate or crack ribs without any traumatic impact from outside the body. But it's true. You can literally cough yourself into a busted rib. I've done it twice and it's no fun at all.
Since you're currently on the mend with already broken ribs, you're even more vulnerable to this. You need to be very careful not to catch a cold or have a sneezing fit until your ribs are real solid again...otherwise it'll be back to square one. If you have to sneeze or cough, do sit down and try your damnedest not to cough or sneeze too hard, no matter how much that itch in your throat is trying to make ya do it. Forcing yourself to give out with a whole series of little tiny shallow coughs instead of a few big deep ones could save you from re-breaking the ribs.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
And sneezing can be dealt with by blowing your nose. Which, though it may hurt, is much less likely to cause any new damage.
A person with no sense of humor about themselves, has no sense at all.
A trick I learned when you really, really don't want to sneeze, is that if you hold your eyes open you can't sneeze. Physically hold your eyelids open with your fingers when you feel a sneeze coming on. You'll swear it's not going to work, that you're going to sneeze, here it comes, almost, then...you feel exactly like you've just sneezed. Really. Why doesn't anyone ever believe me on this? It works!
Mike
Bob,I hope you feel better. . . oh and try and sneeze less ;-).Get better soon.Joe.
Thanks Joe, Good to see you around still................."Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
There are ways to use the different muscles in your thorax and gut that make it possible to blow your nose or even cough gently without straining the sore cracked ribs. Operatically-trained singers know about this; also Shakespearean actors. You have to use your diaphragm exclusively to force the air in and out of your lungs, and not use the chest-wall musculature at all. It takes practice, but it's not at all impossible to learn.
Place your hand on your chest so you can feel if you move it. Then slowly suck in air by forcing your stomach out. Don't let your chest wall move. Inverse the procedure to blow out the air: suck in that gut without sticking out your chest.Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
yah, Our poor Governor here ion Maine broke a rib or two falling on ice this winter. About five or six weeks later, he was watching TV with his family and turned to reach for the remote copntrol, and he either coughed or sneezed in the process, and felt the ribs break again; crunch crackle and all that....
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Man, you're lucky to be alive. How are you doing now?
Here, in Nova Scotia, a self employed worker can make voluntary contributions to workers comp based on any level of annual income he chooses up to what he can prove, of course, and then he's covered on that basis.
I know a guy who fell just before Christmas 2003 when the steel staging collapsed under him. He had paid for coverage on $10,000 of his annual income and the benefits a seemed to be enough to allow him to scrape through his looong recovery time. His wife worked, too.
Here, as far as medical bills are concerned, it doesn't make a lot of difference whether you're covered or not. The difference is that the hospital sends the bills to workers comp instead of to the provincial health department. Since I fell a year ago (I'm not over it yet) the cost to me to date has been 0 except for the income I didn't have. Workers comp even pays for mileage for me to go to the doctor.
It's no picnic getting by on what they pay but it sure beats not getting by.
I wish you all the best.
Ron
Sorry to hear about that. Hope you heal quickly.
Get well soon... My guess is that we will be "seeing" more of you around here for a while!
I got a nasty little sheetmetal cut on Monday. Silver lining was that the nurse practitioner who stiched me up was way cute and nice...
Sorry to hear about your fall because I normally enjoy your posts.
Any damage to the deck?
Ouch Pro... best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Sorry to hear about your accident I hope you heal quickly. When I broke my ribs I found it better to sit down, as quick as possible, if I was going to sneeze. Funny how black things suddenly go when you combine a sneeze with broken ribs and that floor comes up awfully fast.
Sorry to hear you got hurt, Bob.
I did almost the same thing ten years ago on a wet wood deck out on Vashon. Broke my elbow.
Wish you the best of healing up quick!
I'm thankful for the loyal opposition! It's hard to learn much from those who simply agree with you.
I grew up on Vashon.........1964 Grad........Small world"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Did you know Evan Buehl? He was a friend when we lived there. He'd be a little younger than you, maybe.
Evan built one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. He salvaged fir beams (from a warehouse in south Seattle) that were 16" x 24". Used them to build a "log" home that you'd have to see to believe. Incredible detail!
It's sure a different place than it was even when we moved there in '89.I'm thankful for the loyal opposition! It's hard to learn much from those who simply agree with you.
Sorry, didn't know Even........I knew Bruce Kirshner (K2 Skis) all the Kimmels, Lee singer and about every other kid in our big Graduating class............"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
aw man Bob, you gotta quit doin that. It hurt enough the last time, didn't it?
Feel for ya. Been there. Dont want to go back.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Sorry to hear about your fall, glad it wasn't worse.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
"Beat it to fit / Paint it to match"The rib?LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I bet Pro's whole side is a bit off color but painting it wouldn't last or look quite right.
My 82 yr. old father fell off a step ladder last year, he had a screw driver in his back pocket. He broke his hip and stabbed himself pretty good. Laid on the garage floor for a few hours before he was found. That one could have been fatal. Ladders can be dangerous whether they are 30' or 2'. We should all get a raise for hazardous duty.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Yah, I didn't even fall to break my rib. Just stepped down a step ladder next to a plank and the handle of my hammer sat on the plank and the head drove up under my heavy winter coat, right into my lower ribs with my full weight still headed down to the floor with another eight inches to go. Freak accident.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Freak accident.
Aren't they all?
Mike
Hope you're healing quickly. I like your idea of using a speed square (12"?) as a ladder brace between the deck boards. It got me thinking that using one or two pieces of decking with about a dozen trim nails pounded through in a straight line first would hold better in the space between the deck boards, and would also work if the deck boards are parallel or diagonal to the ladder. You could bridge the gaps that way.
I try to put a 3/8" screw eye bolt or two into something solid under the eaves for tieing off for ladder or scaffolding work, but my first thought was "how do you install the bolts at the top of the ladder without being able to climb the ladder safely?" Later I realized the answer was easy "Have somebody else lighter do it! While I hold the ladder for them."
take care,
Dusty and Lefty
nothing hurt but my pride ...
coupla years ago .. while working for a company.
I had one last piece of fascia to tweak on a Fri then head home. Rest of the crew was out front ... everone including me was sneaking off early. They cleaned up the front ... I was out back by myself.
raining. fascia is at the peak of the second story dormer. there's a deck off the first floor.
No problem ... set a 16ft'er off the deck to the roofline 8 ft above ... then set an 8ft step ladder on that roof and against the center mullion on the windows ... safely stand on the "not a step" top step and over reach ... easy!
Get the Evil Kenevil part done ... working slow ... planning to die the whole time.
fix what was broke ... take the step ladder down to the deck .. then the tools ... the one last trip up to sweep off the work area .. ie .. the shingles ...
toss the broom down .. last trip of the week down that ladder ...
one foot on ... two feet on ....
and she lets go!
the ladder feet finally kicked out on the wet deck.
In one graceful motion ... I land face down/belly down hard on the shingled roof ..... there's a gutter crushing my nuts .... my arms are full splay and I'm hugging those shingles for deal life ...
my legs dangling down over the edge .... and some how I caught the top of the falling ladder with my feet!
So I'm laying there thing ... OK ... now what?
I think .. drop the ladder .... then push yerself off and hope for a soft landling.
Then I remember the brand new sliding glass doors right under me .... if I do drop the ladder ... chances are it'll shatter that door. So I yell for help ... only to hear the trucks roar down the road ... I'd missed them by 2 or 3 minutes. We all agreed to clean up and head out quick ... so I'm there alone.
So I just lay there .... 5 or 10 minutes later ....
I hear someone at the front door ... so I yell again ...
"Uhhh ... can ya come to the back deck?"
Lady of the house come out ... Oh my god .. Oh my god ....!
I say .... if ya can ... just kep the bottom of the ladder from slipping .. PLEASE ...
I slowing reach one arm down at a time ... and pull the very top of the ladder to the gutter. Figure I'll gladly buy a new gutter!
Then .. I ask her ... OK ... now .. go put on a pair of boots ... I'll wait here! ...
and then put a foot on the foot of the ladder ... she does ... I carefully crawl down.
Look up ... not even a bent gutter.
I thank and apologize ... she was great. In her late 60's ... very .. very ... "proper".
I thot she was gonna have a heart attack or chew me out for making her put on boots? She just looked concerned ... then when she finally believed me that I was OK ... she started laughing! We both agreed we'd probably not tell the company owner ... I told her for sure to tell her husband though ... he should as be proud of her as much as I was!
I got the place cleaned up and went home for a well deserved beer.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Great story Jeff, thanks for sharing............:-)"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Truly sorry to hear of your injury...and hope your recuperation goes well and FAST!!! (well, as fast as possible...)
I'd like to know though. You wrote:
"The wet surface of a Trex deck is no place for an extension ladder."
Now that you've had some time and heard some others' thoughts & comments, if ya had to put an extension ladder on a Trex deck again - what would you do differently?
Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most!
I would make sure someone was at the bottom holding the ladder. After reading Jeff Bucks story I think we can all say ladder work or any construction work for that matter should never be done alone.
This is a dangerous profession, power tools, heights, nail guns, holes, head bangers, stairs, ladders, un-even surfaces, utility knives, hammers, chisels, slivers, Slippery joists, and more. The next accident is just around the corner.
It is a good idea to have someone there to run you to hospital if need be.
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
The event happens in an instant, the effects last a lot longer. Good luck and God bless.